Chapter one - Faerie Way
"Faeries?" The elf boy scoffs, "Faeries don't exist Jashir. They are just wives' tales. I mean come on! Little things that fly in the air?" He makes a butterfly shadow puppet with his hands and rolls his eyes. He is tall, blonde, fair skinned and blue eyed. The elf has scruff and a wiry strong figure, and clearly doesn’t really believe in anything that he hasn't seen before.
"You used to say the same thing about willow wands, and they are just a technology!" Jashir brandishes his willow wand in exasperation. "Now you know they exist and use them for everything!”
Leikin sighs, “So I was wrong one time! That doesn’t mean everything and creature, I don’t happen to believe in exists!”
“There are enough facts to conclude that Faeries, most likely, exist!” Jashir smiles in excitement, “I've found leaflets full of tales and legends of them. We are explorers, if we can't find the faeries then no one can- If we find them..." Jashir baps Leikin on the head with the leaflets. "I am right and... you must..." He carefully contemplates what would be the best revenge for his friends' weak-mindedness. "Kiss a Spriggan!"
Leikin looks over his tan skinned companion. He stares into his hazel eyes trying to understand his angle and messes his brown hair. Jashir is less fit than Leikin and much smaller. Being thin and not very strong. He has a more cheerful and gullible personality than his skeptical friend.
Leikin rolls his eyes. "Ever the charmer Jashi. Fine, but when it turns out that these pamphlets were just Stardust dreams. You, owe me a Dewdrop." Leikin smirks and points at Jashir as he leans on a conveniently placed sapling. " A nice tall, Dewdrop."
Jashir's eyes widen. "A Dewdrop? A tall Dewdrop? Do you know how hard it is to get the Gnomes to even let you near a Dewdrop speakeasy? Let alone actually buy a bottle? You do remember we're Elves right ?!? Why can't you just settle for more LilySilk Wine....." He makes eye contact with Leikin uneasily. The truce between the elves and the Gnomes was hard to procure, and the factions still held prejudice. It would be dangerous trying to attain such a drink.
Leikin ruffles his own bright golden blonde hair, removing his crumpled cap and tosses it to the ground as he struts towards his companion. "You don't want to forfeit, do you Jashi? I won't think any less of you, at least, outloud."
Jashir rolls his eyes as he continues walking. He shoots Liekin a sideways glance. " I'm not going to forfeit a bet to you, drunkard! I'd rather live with a Redcap. It would definitely be better than you gloating. My end would be swift." We’ll just find a way if Leikin is right, which he isn’t.
Leikin laughs and his hand inches towards his satchel. The mere mention of his alcoholism enough to make him want another drink. "I'm no drunkard, I just like nature's bounty, like any self respecting Elf."
Jashir's hazel eyes shine like fire as he remarks. " Self respecting, is that what you call it? Last time we went to a tavern you passed out in a banshee's lap if I recall correctly." After staring his companion down he looks at the leaflets full of writing in his hand. "Anyway I've got several areas where faerie sightings are prominent here. Where should we start?"
Leikin eyes Jashir after snatching one of his pamphlets. "Fern Grove. It's a fun place, what can I say."
Jashir's eyes widen. "But it is always dark in Fern Grove! Not all of it has even been explored!" He shudders at the thought of the dark creepy place. No light ever seems to enter the Fern Grove. The stories go that at one point it was light there, but it has been centuries since. He can’t help but feel there is a dark presence there.
"Would you rather get me the Dewdrop now Jashi?" Leikin chuckles coyly, walking off with one of the leaf pamphlets. He isn't much afraid of the dark, nor does he read well into omens as he isn't a bit superstitious.
"Nonono... Dark and creepy is fine." He runs up to meet Leikin as they begin their journey. "But we aren't far from the Fern Grove. Why do you think they would be there?" He looks around happily at the trim trees and short grass in the lighted meadow around them, and then with anxiety at what lies ahead. The grass grows taller and darker and the trees are close and violently twisted.
Leikin trudges along unknowingly. "I don't think they will be there, nor anywhere Jashi. I told you they're wives' talk, but the fellow that wrote this said " He puts on his best spooky voice." 'There will be different colored flashing lights green, blue, and gold.' " He wiggles his eyebrows and almost trips over a gnarled stump. " Who moved that?!?" He looks back at the stump incredulously as he continues walking with Jashir. " Anyway, doesn't that sound like Stardust dreams to you?"
Jashir rolls his eyes. "Says the elf who thinks someone moved a stump under his feet. You picked this place first because we don't have fireflies and I hate the dark, didn't you!" He looks over at Leikin accusingly as they are walking.
"What, me? No, I'm drunk beyond my ears, remember? I can't even keep track of stumps, how would I have such a masterplan?" Leikin folds his arms chuckling and looking at Jashi. He walks beside him, directly into a tree. "Ow! Okay! That tree wasn't there before! I'm not kidding! Take your face out of your leaflets, the forest is moving!!"
"You got me! Leikin you got me. It was me. I just had to hit you in the face with a tree today." Jashir giggles sarcastically looking up at his clumsy companion. "It isn't possible for anyone to move a forest! "
Leikin takes his LilySilk Wine out of his satchel gulping some of it down, and pauses his stare devoted to a single item. He points the seemingly unassuming thing out to Jashir with a panicked breath. "It's the root, Jashi. It's the root."
Jashir looks at him quizzically, actually moving his pamphlets to his side. "What root? There are a lot of roots in this vicinity. It's a forest!"
"The root I tripped on earlier!" He looks around for less than a moment and finds his cap. It's lying next to a familiar stump, yards from where he had tossed it earlier. Leikin affirms. "We are walking in a circle, and things are moving."
"Leikin you are beyond drunk. Fern Grove is right up there." Jashir points ahead on the path to a dark canopy between saplings and ferns. It's an unfriendly atmosphere. The sunlight is blocked and the cold air seeping out of the dark foliage has the musky smell of decay, the wind passing through is thick with humidity. Jashir isn’t very excited to enter the grove.
"Okay." Leikin blinks, analyzing his surroundings once more. "You go first then, I'll follow you when you get past the entrance, but this forest doesn't like me. I'm staying here for now." He plops down on the dew filled grass stubbornly guzzling the rest of his LilySilk. "Go."
Jashir looks at Leikin and fears wash over him. The Grove is terrifying in all its dark splendor and the entry of the canopy is bequeathed to the gates of the underworld in Jashir’s mind. "But it's dark in there."
Leikin puts the bottle down his voice firm and slightly exasperated, not understanding the depth of Jashir’s bad feeling. "Just go."
Jashir looks up the path uncertainly; he takes a step sways nervously and then looks back at Leikin's serious expression. Taking a deep breath he walks up the path he gets to the edge of the entrance of Fern Grove, and turns. "Leikin?"
Leikin rubs his face irritably and slaps his hat back onto his head, "Do you see the lights Jashi."
Jashir peeks into the canopy. "N- .. wait! I see one! It's red! " He seems excited and even edges into the Fern Grove ever so slightly. "It's red and it's zooming around!"
Finally Leikin jumps to his feet, curiosity overtaking him. "They didn't mention red lights, are there anymore?"
Thank you. :>
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